The present invention relates to a radiophone provided with an operation key with multiple functionality for handling access to a menu structure.
The term “radiophone” covers a portable unit provided with a transmitter/receiver, which is capable of transmitting signals with speech and/or data via electromagnetic waves/radio waves to another unit comprising a transmitter/receiver.
The phones sold by the applicants, as for example the models Nokia 5110™, Nokia 6110™ and Nokia 8810™, are exponents of the presently dominating user interface style based on two menu handling keys (soft keys) with multiple functionality for accessing different features in the phone. These features can e.g. be user settings, handling messages, setting call options, security options, etc. In idle mode, the two soft keys on e.g. Nokia 6110™ and Nokia 8810™ allow access to the menu structure and the phone book, respectively. The phone book is a phone number database stored on the SIM card of the phone and/or in the memory in the phone itself. The call handling is handled by two other keys—one for establishing or answering a call and one for terminating a call. Even if the soft keys facilitate the access to different features, the users desire an even more well-arranged and manageable keypad.
One example of an improvement is disclosed in GB-A-2,319,691, which describes a user interface for a radiophone. The radiophone comprises a user interface and a controller unit connected to the user interface. The user interface comprises a display and a keypad having an operation key, of which function is controlled by the controller unit and is displayed in a predetermined area of the display. The radiophone is capable of assuming a plurality of states in which a group of predetermined actions associated with the state concerned may be performed by the operation key. The controller unit displays one of the actions as a default function in the predetermined area of the display. This improvement as disclosed in GB-A-2,319,691 provides a user interface for a radiophone, which facilitates the normal operation for accessing different features in the radiophone.
Another example of an improvement is disclosed in GB-A-2,322,512, which also describes a user interface for a radiophone. The radiophone is provided with a user interface including a single multi-functionality key with multiple functionality, including call handling. The functionality of the multi-functionality key is displayed on a display, and is controlled by a controller. The controller monitors the information displayed on the display and controls the functionality of the multi-functionality key in dependence of the displayed information. This means that the call handling keys can be included in a single menu handling key, instead of having separate call handling keys. Thus, this improvement as disclosed in GB-A-2,322,512 provides a user interface for a radiotelephone which facilitates the normal operation. This improvement is also a very appreciated feature called NaviKey™ in the applicant's phone Nokia 3110™.
However, even if both GB-A-2,319,691 and GB-A-2,322,512 provide a well-arranged and manageable user interface, it is a general desire to facilitate the access to predetermined actions associated with a state when the radiophone is in an idle state. For example, upon pressing on a key on the alphanumerical keyboard on the phone, it is desired to facilitate the access to features which are related to actions affected by the alphanumerical keyboard.